Austin walks over to the mangled car making sure to stay in Angel's line of sight as she sits in the back of an ambulance with Lia while the pandemics check her and Lia over. Angel is so shaken up that if she had to lose sight of Austin she would freak out. "Yeah, the guy is dead," he hears a police officer say. He leans into the car and sees for himself that the guy is very much dead. It's definitely the hooded guy from the florist - same hoodie and even dead, he looks crazy. "Austin...your reputation speaks for itself and so that's why I am going to let you explain before we start arresting people. What the fuck happened here?" the police captain asks. "Mind if we do it at my client's house? She is pretty shaken up and I want to get her home," he says. The police captain looks back at Angel and then nods. "Fine. We are drawing a crowd anyway. We will follow you home," he says. Austin gives him a sharp nod then turns back to the medic looking over the hooded man. "You sure he is dead?" he asks. "Oh, he is deceased. There is no doubt about it," the medic says. "Has he got any ID on him?" Austin asks. "Austin, this is a police investigation now," the Captain says. "So ID him then," Austin says bending down and taking the hooded man's wallet from the medic.
He opens it and frowns as he insects his cards and driver's license. "Get his address and go to his house," he says handing the driver's license to Mathew. "Austin, seriously?" the Captain says with a sigh. "Send your cops with my man then. He was stalking my client, kidnapped her, and no doubt had plans to fuck her up. He was obsessed and you lazy bastards did fucking nothing even though I sent all the shit through to your department daily," Austin says walking past the Captain, slamming the dead man's wallet on his chest. "So yes - seriously," he says then walks over to Angel. She reaches out to him as soon as he gets close enough. "She all good?" he asks the paramedic. "Yeah, she is good. Just a few superficial scratches and bruises," the paramedic says. They may be superficial but Austin finds his jaw clenching in anger - he would kill the hooded man again if he could.
"This one on the other hand is a little more banged up. She has a twisted wrist and a broken finger," the paramedic says pointing to Lia. Austin does not care. Lia whimpers and Angel turns to her, wrapping her in her arms and soothing her. "It's ok, Lia, you come stay with me for the night and I will look after you," Angel says. "No," Austin says shaking his head. "I am too scared to be alone, what if he comes back?" Lia says grabbing at Angel. "Not to make you feel bad, but her injuries are from you dumping her off your bike and the poor girl is terrified," Angel says. "That does not make me feel bad," Austin says pulling Angel gently out of the ambulance. "Let's go home," he says.
"What about me? Please, Angel!" Lia calls after them. "Austin, I can't just leave her. You were wrong about her - she was so scared and that hooded man...he...he..." she says then stops as her eyes fill with tears. He pulls her close to him, trying to comfort her. "Ok, calm down," he says softly. "Lia! Come!" he shouts over to her. Lia hops out of the ambulance and walks over to Jona's car who is fussing over Angel. "You drive," Jona says handing Austin the keys and then climbing into the back with Angel as Lia climbs up front. Lia avoids eye contact with him and acts like she is afraid of him - he would have left her in the car with the hooded man, the only reason he took her was because Angel was pushing Lia between them his only objective was to get Angel out and he could not give two shits about Lia, so she should be scared of him. He is still suspicious of Lia - why would she take Angel down to the car park without Austin? Something is off about her and Austin is not going to let it go.
Austin has a list of questions he wants Lia to answer starting with why she separated Angel from him but, she will not answer truthfully and he is a strategy-based man. If his suspicions about Lia are right all he needs to do is give her enough rope and she will hang herself. So as much as it pains him he refrains from laying into her - he will wait and strike when the time is right. The car is quiet but then Austin hears Lia speak and he has to hide his smirk. She proves his suspicions without even trying.
"I didn't do this on purpose. She was on the phone with her mom and gets so sidetracked so I just lead her out. Austin was not by the bathroom door so I just presumed he had gone somewhere. If Austin was so worried about Angel then why did he not stay by the bathroom door?" Lia says suddenly, Austin watches her with a side eye as she clenches her hands into fists - her knuckles going white. "I never left the bathroom door," Austin says calmly. "The bathroom has two entrances - maybe Lia took Angel out the wrong one by accident," Jona says. "Maybe..." Austin mumbles. "It was an accident just like Jona said. Besides, Angel is safer with me than with you," Lia says upset now and holding back tears. "She does not need you around especially when you manipulate her the way you do," he hears her add under her breath. Manipulation? She is throwing big accusations and Austin never had to ask one question - she is hiding something, Austin can feel it in his gut.
"Please stop. We are all on edge...does anyone know where Nate is?" Angel asks. "He got knocked out, he was tired up in the stairwell," Jona says. "What!? Is he ok?" Angel asks. "He is fine, just took a nasty bump on the back of the head," Jona says. Angel sniffles and Austin wants to pull her on his lap. This is his fault. He failed her - he was not able to do the one thing he was supposed to do. He is a fucking disgrace. He fucking hates himself. He brings the car to a stop in front of Angel's house then steps out and opens Angel's door. She steps out and looks at him, studying his face. "Please don't," she whispers. "I know what you are thinking. I saw your jaw clenching and the way you were squeezing the wheel...you came for me...if it were not for you I would be...I would be...well, you know where I would be."
"He still managed to take you."
"And you got me back."
She should not be so forgiving but she is and even though he should resign and hand her over to someone who will look after her properly he can't bare to walk away. She loops her arms around him hugging him right. "That's enough now, miss Knite," he says softly as the police cars start pulling up the driveway. She steps away from him and wipes her cheeks. "Please don't leave," she says. "Promise. Promise me," she says. She is clever. He is a man of his word and she knows he would never break a promise made. "I promise, Miss Knite," he says. Pleased by his answer she nods and then turns to the police officers walking up to her. "Miss Knite, if we may have a word," the one says. She nods and then she and Jona lead them into the house.
"Help me, please," Lia says opening her door and looking at Austin. "With what?" he asks walking away and into the house before she can answer. "Where is Lia?" Angel asks as he walks into the lounge. He tips his head to indicate she is still outside.
"Austin, she is shaken up."
"And?"
"Will you please help her?"
"No."
"I will then," Angel says standing up, but Austin places his hand on her shoulder and pushes her back down. "Stay. Talk to the police," he says sternly. "Thought you would have softened over the last few years...seems you have not," the police captain says as he walks in. Austin rolls his eyes and walks outside. He does not appreciate the chitchat, especially right now while he is hating himself. He lights a smoke and watches Lia climb out of the car and walk up the stairs traveling her hand. She is dramatic. Curry arrives with Nate and Austin kills his smoke, walking over to the car and opening Nate's door. He has a gash on the back of his head and looks to be in a lot of pain. "What happened?" Austin asks. "I don't know. I was leaning on the hood of the car, messing with my phone the next thing something hit me hard on my head and I woke up in the stairwell with you guys running past me. I don't know what the hell happened. Is Angel...did anything happen to her? Is she ok?" Nate asks. Austin looks at Curry who shakes his head, "I didn't tell him anything," he says.
"She is fine. You didn't see anything?"
"No. I did hear a phone ring just before I was hit, but I didn't see anyone."
Something is off here, but Austin can't put his finger on it. None of this makes sense. Maybe he is overthinking all this. But, something is off. They wait outside for another hour and then the police and Angel emerge from the house. When Angel sees Nate in the car she runs over to him and fusses over his injury while Austin walks over to the police captain when he calls him over. "Austin, this is a pretty straightforward case - he stalked her and now he is dead. It's done."
"Ok."
"Ok?"
"Yup."
The police captain squint's at him and hums. "That was a little too easy. You are normally like a dog with a bone," he says. "As you said, he is dead. It's done," Austin shrugs. The police captain squint's again then gives Austin a sharp nod and climbs into his car.
It's not done.
Austin walks back into the house and groans when he sees everyone sitting around the kitchen table while Phoebe fusses over them.
"What is happening?" he asks from the doorway. "Nate and Lia are staying here till they are better," Angel says. "Why didn't you tell me Angel had a stalker!" Phoebe accuses. "Because he did not take her safety seriously," Lia mumbles. "He is the only reason she is ok, back off," Nate says. "They stay downstairs," Austin instructs then turns and walks upstairs, thankful that this house is big. He fucking hates people and there are too many people in this house. "Austin," Mathew announces himself as he reaches the landing.
"So...we all good? Stalker is dead..."
"No."
"Didn't think so."
"Stay alert. What did you find at the hooded man's apartment?" he asks. "Nothing. It was clean," Mathew says. "You don't find that odd? He obsessed over her surely you found something," Austin says. "I scooped the laptop," Mathew says handing it over to Austin. It's odd, he expected Mathew to find a wall of photos, maybe a shrine, or even a stack of letters ready to be sent off to Angel, but nothing? That does not sound right. He steps into his room and closes the door behind him. He showers and then sits on his couch with his blackbook and the hooded man's laptop. It's not locked so it's easy to get into. He combs through his files but finds nothing that connects to Angel, no photos or videos or even internet searches in his history that connect to Angel. That's odd - laptops are like dirty notebooks so even if had nothing in his apartment, he should have had something in his laptop. Something is off. He was insane though, he has a lot of poetry - mad ramblings of an insane man, but he can't connect any of them back to Angel. Eventually, he gives up. Everything seems to lead to a dead end, it's late so maybe a good night's rest will give him a fresh perspective tomorrow.
He waits, his mind swirling in thoughts until he hears his bedroom door open and then Angel appears with that stupid bird of hers. "I would ask if I can sleep here but you and I both know I would just ignore you if you say no and it's been a long day, so..." Angel says, "and I listened to you - Nate and Lia are in rooms downstairs. Lia asked to sleep up here but I said no," she adds. She is looking at Austin as if she is waiting for praise from him. He stands slowly then walks to the bed and pulls back the covers, turning to look at her. "I was not going to say no," he says. She walks over and places her bird on the bed then climbs in. "You called me baby today," she says moving to the middle of the bed and lying down on her stomach. He did, but it had not been intentional, it had just slipped out. "Sleep, Miss Knite," Austin says climbing over her and pushing her into the mattress. "Get off, bird," he mumbles as her bird tries his luck on his hip again.
That bird is almost as big of a pain in his ass as she is.